ARCHIVED - Health Canada

External Fee

Service Standard

Performance Result

Stakeholder Consultation

National Dosimetry Services Product, Services and Fee Structure  (NDS P, S&F)

Provide timely, responsive and reliable customer services to 95,000 workers in 13,000 groups:

Registration and inspections of incoming dosimeters within 48 hours

Exposures over regulatory limits reported within 24 hours

Dosimeters leave NDS premises 10-13 working days prior to exchange date

Message call backs (phone, e-mail) within 24 hours

Updated account information within 48 hours

Additional request dosimeters shipped within 24 hours
Exposure Reports for regular service sent out within 10 days of dosimeter receipt

Provided timely, responsive and reliable customer services to 95,000 workers in 13,000 groups.  The standards were met as follows:
99%    Registration & inspection of incoming dosimeters  within 48 hours
100%  Exposures over regulatory limits reported within 24 hours
97%    Dosimeters leave NDS premises 10-13 working days prior to exchange date
99%    Message call backs done within 24 hours
99%    Account information updated within 48 hours
99%    Additional request dosimeters shipped within 24 hours
90%    Exposure Reports sent out within 10 days of dosimeter receipt

NDS manages client contacts ( 55, 000 this year) on a daily basis through the Call Centre system.  This allows NDS to measure level of service satisfaction as well as insight into new requirements for products and services.  NDS documents and assess customer feedback (compliments and criticism) using a centralized electronic database directly connected to the Call Centre system.  Additional information on service is obtained during regular contact sessions with the client and, as required, through exit questionnaires.  This year, NDS will be engaging selected clients in service specific questionnaire.  On a basis of over 500,000 dosimeter readings annually, NDS satisfaction rate is more than  99.9%.

Deratting Services
Will be known as Ship Sanitation Cerficate Services as of June 17, 2007.

Health Canada provides 7-day service in designated ports and all requests are responded to within 48 hours.
See Note 1 below.

100% of requests received were responded to within 48 hours or less.

There were no changes to the service standards in 2006-2007.  The International Health Regulations (WHO) requires that the new Ship Sanitation Certificates be implemented by June 15, 2007.  The shipping industry was consulted by HC in the 2006-07 year.  Fees will not change until after December 15, 2007 when a new costing analysis will be completed.

Cruise Ship Inspection Program

Periodic inspections done a minimum of once a sailing season on ships in Canadian waters.
Final reports submitted within 10 working days.
Re-inspection on any ships with scores of less than 85%.

See Notes 2 and 3 below.
100%

There were no changes to the service standards in 2006-2007. Health Canada meets with stakeholders on an annual basis to review and discuss any proposed changes to the service standards.  The standards are consistent with the CDC/VSP (Vessel Sanitation Program) administrative guideline and criteria for inspections, and any changes would be synchronized to harmonize the process with the U.S.
The administrative guide was updated with minor changes in  2006-07, and will be implemented in April 2007.

Common Carrier Inspection (e.g. trains, ferries, airports/airlines, seaports)

See Note 3 below.

See Note 4 below.

Service standards are negotiated and included in MOUs/contracts; service standards/MOUs remain unchanged in 2006-07.  Stakeholders consulted at the annual HC-industry meeting.

Employee Assistance Services (EAS)
(Fee is charged through contractual or formally-based agreements between HC and other departments, agencies and federally-regulated organizations.)

As per formal agreement, varies depending on customer organization's requirements, needs and EAS capacity to meet these.

EAS is an Accredited service.  Voluntary satisfaction surveys, customer surveys and follow-ups with clients and customers are done on a regular basis.  Results are shared at year end with report to each customer, as per formal agreement.

Customer survey and meeting with customer at least once a year.  Formal agreement to renew contractual or MOU-type agreement done annually or every two years.  Utilization data given at least annually to each customer.

Medical Marihuana
Dried marihuana
($5.00 / gram)

Cannabis seeds
($20.00 / packet of 30 seeds)

Dried marihuana
Quality: Each lot is tested prior to distribution for potency and absence of specific contaminants.
Quantity: 14 working days (date of receipt of request to date of shipment)

Cannabis seeds
Quality: Each batch is tested for germination rate and mature plants morphological and chemical attributes.
Quantity: 5 working days  (date of receipt of request to date of shipment).

Dried marihuana
Requirements were met for all eight lots distributed to authorized persons (A.P.) (Quality control results posted on Health Canada website).  Return rate due to product non-satisfaction = 0.48% (33 pouches out of 6,864 shipped), compared to a 1.09% non-satisfaction rate last fiscal year (53 pouches out of 4,828 shipped.
Total number dried marihuana shipment orders sent to A.P. = 2,100, compared to 1,412 sent last fiscal year.
Cannabis seeds
Current cannabis seeds batch distributed for the period of April 1, 2006 through to March 31, 2007. Return rate due to product non-satisfaction = 1.7% (6 packets out of 348 packets shipped) (Please note that the return rate for seeds may not necessarily be due to non-satisfaction but because they decided not to grow or it was undeliverable).  Last fiscal year, there was a 0.89% return rate due to non-satisfaction (3 packets out of 336 shipped).
Total number seeds shipment orders sent to A.P. = 185, compared to 196 last fiscal year.

As a result of comments received from the first users of marihuana produced under contract for Health Canada, a "bud" only product with increased potency has been distributed by Health Canada since May 2004.  Additional changes to the physical attributes of dried marihuana resulting in a marihuana product with higher humidity and larger particle size were made September 2005, thus increasing the quality of the product.
Based on feedback received from clients, since August 2004, Health Canada has been offering three different pouch sizes to allow new A.P. to try a smaller size pouch product; therefore allowing clients the opportunity to pay for opened smaller size pouches in the advent the product does not meet their needs.
Processing time was calculated and based on historical data accumulated over a period of a year.

Prior Notification Required

Weekday Service - Designated Ports

24 hours

Weekend Service - Designated Ports

48 hours

Regular Weekend Service - Designated Ports

For service on Saturday, notice must be received Thursday by 1300 hours local time.
For service on Sunday, notice must be received Friday by 1300 hours local time.

Holiday Weekend Service - Designated Ports

When Friday is the statutory holiday

• for service on Friday, notice must be received Wednesday by 1300 hours local time;
• for service on Saturday or Sunday, notice must be received Thursday by 1300 hours local time.

When Monday is the statutory holiday

• for service on Saturday, notice must be received Thursday by 1300 hours local time;
• for service on Sunday or Monday, notice must be received Friday by 1300 hours local time.

Prior Notice for Service - Non-designated Ports

72 hours prior notice is requested for service at non-designated ports.

Service Standard

Performance Result

Passenger Train - On Board

Periodic inspection done on each passenger train line as determined by MOU between Health Canada and passenger train industry.
Final inspection report provided to industry within 10 working days.

100% of reports provided within 10 working days.

Passenger Train - Off  Board

Sanitation inspection done twice a year.
Final report provided to industry within 10 working days

100% of reports provided within 10 working days.

Flight Kitchen

Scheduled number of  announced audits per year is based on the number of meals prepared by the kitchen.
Final audit inspection report provided within 10 working days of inspection.

100% of reports provided within 10 working days.

Ferry - On Board Food

Unannounced inspections as per predetermined contractual obligations.
Final inspection report provided within 10 working days of inspection.

100% of reports provided within 10 working days.

Ferry - Potable Water

Unannounced inspections as per predetermined contractual obligations.
100% of reports provided within 10 working days.

100% of reports provided within 10 working days.

A.    External Fee

Service Standard

Performance Result

Stakeholder Consultation

Fees charged for the processing of access requests filed under the Access to Information Act (ATIA)

Response provided within 30 days following receipt of request; response time may be extended pursuant to section 9 of the ATIA. Notice of extension to be sent within 30 days of receipt of request.
ATIA

Of  2.017 requests, 1,643 (81.5%) were completed during 2006-2007.

The Department was able to respond within 30 days or less in 626 (38.1%) of completed cases. Response times for the remaining cases were 280 (17.0%) within
31 to 60 days, 400 (24.3%) within 61 to 120 days, and 337 (20.5%) in 121 or more days.

N/A

B. Other Information
N/A